


Ash and Embers

by BlueFireWolves



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: ATOC told in flashbacks and in mentions, Anakin Skywalker Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Author didn’t tag everything, F/F, F/M, Female Anakin Skywalker, Flashbacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Survivor Guilt, World War II
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:00:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26119189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFireWolves/pseuds/BlueFireWolves
Summary: Dakota Skywalker has always known she was different. She knew when she met the old man who she taught English and in return taught her two languages and how to fight. She knew when she found the downed craft and found the odd sword hilt. She knew it when she lied about her gender and age to get into the army. She should be dead.She’s not.She’ll just have to find something else to fight for.
Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Original Character(s), Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker & Original Character(s), Author didn’t tag every relationship, OC/OC, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright this is my first Star Wars fic on this site. Please read and review, No Flames!

* * *

Bullets whizzed over her head as she ran for cover. She vaulted over the fallen tree before ducking underneath it as she crawled to a nearby rock. She watched as more of her fellow soldiers were cut down but the Nazi’s just a couple hundred yards up at the edge of a town.   
  


The distinct sound of a MG42 opening up on the advancing soldiers stopped her from peaking out over the rock. She was forced to watch as it made mincemeat of her brothers in arms as the fell quickly to it. She glanced away as an arm was shot off of a nearby soldier, it didn’t take long for a German rifleman to finish him off.

She silently cursed her Commanders as a German shell slammed into the ground blowing apart the men near it, showering the ground with body parts as well as dirt. She leaned around the rock for a quick peak and was able to spot the MG up in a two story building just a couple of yards beyond a stone wall.

She heard someone slam into the fallen tree with a muffled curse. Looking over she saw it was MacIntyre, one of her friends. Someone she had fought with for the past three years in this hellish war. His jade eyes locked onto her mismatched eyes for a second before her shot up form his cover and returned fire at the Germans firing upon them.   
  


She looked around as dirt rained down on her from a nearby explosion. She spotted what looked like a viable option to flank the entrenched Germans. It was a large barn just a few yards to the right and slightly in front of their position.   
  


“Sam! The barn, we could use it to flank them!” She shouted over the noise as she leaned out from behind her cover as she shot a German through the eye which sent his helmet flying. The soldiers around him ducked back under the cover of the wall.

Sam looked over and saw what she was talking about. “That’s risky Skywalker! There could be a lot more of’em over there.”   
  


“If we continue to attack them from here then it will be a blood bath! They have a whole bloody battery of 88’s up the slope. Gather a few men and supplies then follow me!” She told him as she shot another German, this time one up in a window.   
  


They both froze as they heard the tell tale sound of artillery coming down.

“Artillery,Get down!” They yelled in a sync.   
  


She hit the ground as soon as the words left her mouth as the German artillery rained death down upon them. The ground shook as shell after shell slammed into. Dirt and shrapnel were sent flying everywhere. She winced as something heavy bounces off her helmet. She briefly glanced up and immediately regretted.

It was an arm. A whole arm had just bounced off of her head.

The barrage let up and she scrambled to her feet, cursing as she went. She cursed the high brass as she went for seeing them as only pawns, things that can be replaced as if they didn’t have lives.   
  


She watched as reinforcements made their way and she immediately motioned for a two squads to come to her. She spotted soldiers near a tank that was advancing.   
  


Before the tank could get close to to her position it exploded. Sending shrapnel everywhere as it burst into an inferno. One solider was unlucky and caught a large chunk of flying steel.   
  
She watched as he was thrown to the ground. She could see his hip bone and spinal cord. His guts were spilled out around him.He was almost spilt in half. She sent a silent prayer for him as she took a deep breath.

“All right, here’s what we’re goin to do. You six are going to provide cover fire for us. Once they do tha’ you lot are comin with me to go around the side of that barn. Once we get a clear line around the wall, you with the Bren gun are going to cut ’em down. From there were are going to clear that house then push the Germans back, got it?”   
  


When they all gave a sharp nod she gave the command.   
  


Under the cover fire provided by her fellow soldiers she and her small group dashed up to the barn. They quickly cleared it moved on to where they could get a clear line on the Germans defenders.

Once they were in position she gave the signal to open fire on them. Together they sent rounds down range and into the Germans. They moved on to the house where the MG was spewing lead down onto the others. It didn’t take long for the rest of the army to advance, driving the Germans back.   
  


They chased after them down a lone street that lead to a train station just outside of the center of the town. Once they exited the street all hell broke loose.

The Germans had setup a defensive line right at the station. There was a few tanks lying in wait. Dakota had spotted a couple of anti-tank guns before being forced to duck into cover.   
  


She ran and dove over the wall of a bombed out corner café. Sam was quick to join her. As she took a peak over her cover she could see the bodies in the street. Some weren’t even soldiers. Just civilians caught in the crossfire.

She returned fire and shot a German down who was about to throw a grenade. She glanced over at Sam who was reloading his Sterling sub machine gun.   
  


He glanced up at her and gave a slight nod. That’s when they both heard the whistle. She sighed and fired off two shots in rapid succession before sprinting across the street. She could see in the corner of her eye a Sherman Firefly destroy one of the enemy tanks.   
  


Then to her horror she heard the sound of a diving Stuka. Looking up she saw a trio of them release several bombs. She but that wasn’t the only thing. The Germans were bombing the town! There most have been a dozen or so low flying He 111’s dropping bombs as the flew over head.   
  


A blast form a nearby bomb swept her off her feet. Flaming debris sent towards her as the building exploded. Her vision went dark.   
  


She came to just a few seconds later with a groan. Her ears were ringing as the town blazed around them, smoke billowing into the air. The source of the fire soon became clear as she crawled the couple feet to her rifle and got up.   
  


It was a German tank with a flamethrower instead of a machine gun.   
  


She watched as the cannon on it it thundered out a death blow to a nearby allied tank. The tank burst into flames as it exploded, they crew coming out of it on fire as they desperately tried to put out the flames by rolling around. One killed himself instead of burning to death. She grimaced at the scene, she had stopped being shocked by such a horrible sight long ago.

She heard someone call her name as she was pulled into a nearby alley. She tensed up and got ready to fight back only to relax nice she realized that it was only Sam.   
  
  


Sam gave her quick check before he looked her in the eyes. She gave him a slight nod. Sam had always been there, even before the war.   
  


“What the bloody hell happened?! Was it a trap?” She whisper yelled at him as more Germans started coming out onto the streets. She winced as she saw one of the Germans gun down a friendly soldier before he could get into cover.

“I don’t know! The German staging area was supposed to be three clicks east of here. But I guess they had a rendezvous point here, at that train station.” He said back as three squads joined them there.

Before anyone else could say anything a Captain joined them with two more people following him. “Right listen up lads! The colonel wants us to take that station, we have armored support with us.” Just as he said that the nearby Panther burst into flames.

Dakota thought the plan was downright suicidal. “Sir! With all due respect that won’t work! The Germans are dug in with anti-tank and personnel emplacements. It’ll be a be a bloody meat grinder!” She said incredulously.

“All the other groups are going to attack with us at once.” He continued on ignoring her.   
  


She looked at Sam who only placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. But she could see it in his eyes that he thought this plan was doomed to fail as well.   
  


She clenched her fists as she gritted her teeth. _When would they realize that they are more than just pawns? Something that can be replaced with ease? As nothing more than a mean to an end?_ She couldn’t help but think that. Now all she could think was that maybe that’s all they would ever be. Replaceable. Nothing more than a serial number and a statistic.

She shook her head to clear those thoughts and steeled herself for the inevitable massacre that was to come in moments. She could see others massing along the routes as the tanks pushed back the German armor. One Sherman went up in a massive explosion as the turret was sent flying. Some of the men near it were cut to ribbons by the spray of shrapnel it sent outwards.

She watched a lone signal flare made its way into the smoke filled sky. She sighed knowing that the time to assault the fortified German position. She looked at Sam who gave her a small nod. Together they would get through this battle, just like they had for the past three years.

They darted our from the alley they were in as they attack begun. Immediately they began taking casualties. The tanks moved up with them only for one to be hit by an anti-tank gun causing it to burst into flames. Some of the infantry behind were killed. As the others ran to get behind cover the machine guns cut them down.

She ran across the streets sticking close to the walls as they approached the station. Reacting to a German piping out from behind cover she quickly put a bullet through his heart. She watched as a few seconds after he went down and explosion occurred. He had been about to throw a grenade.   
  


They continued to push at the train station as their numbers began to diminish. The battle continued to rage hot and fast around them as another tank was knocked out followed by another. They now only had two tanks left.

Something was off about this group of Germans to her. They were far more stubborn and from the small squad she saw earlier that had been killing the wounded, bloodthirsty. She was shaken out of her thoughts as one of the remaining tanks blew a hole in the wall.

She bolted to catch up to Sam who was a few yards away from her. All around them the battle raged. Buildings burned, men were cut down and blood flowed in the streets. As their numbers continued to fall she finally figured out wheat was different with these Germans. They were SS.

She frowned as she realized this. She looked around her as the blurring in the lines would probably mean there would be hand to hand combat. She sprinted through the gap in the wall with the other soldiers around her as the Germans stood their ground. They were determined to fight to the death for their Fatherland and for their Führer.

The fire fight descended into a slug fest with frontline becoming blurred as it began to turn into hand to hand combat. Dakota watched as more of her unit fell in battle.   
  


But the SS were also losing a lot of their numbers. They refused to retreat and fought to the bitter end.   
  


She slammed the butt of her rifle into the bottom of a Germans jaw before kicking him away. She then immediately shot him dead. Another came at her as she quickly pulled out her knife. A knife she found in a very strange aircraft she found in the fields near the house were one of her foster parents had lived. That wasn’t the only thing she had found. A strange set of armor too and a strange cylinder. She was reluctant to use it at all since she was told to use it like a sword by the Old Man who lived nearby where she found those at. In exchange for how to defend herself she taught him English if he taught her those strange languages he spoke. He told her he could never spar with odd cylinder she had found which he told her was a sword hilt. I’ve had never been able to spar with her but instructed her on how to wield it. He told her about his beliefs. This thing called the Force. She personally thought that was a stupid name but she believed him nonetheless. He told her about the knife and armor told her that an old friend who had passed away shortly after landing had given them to him and now he gave them to her. She still had them on her, hidden in a extra bag she kept on her person while the thing he called a lightsaber she kept hidden by her waist.

She side stepped as he lunged at her and thrust her knife into his stomach. She looked him in the eye as she withdrew it before slamming the hilt into the bottom of his jaw, knocking his head back. She then with blinding speed brought down the blade into his exposed throat with enough force to knock him onto his knees. She placed her hand onto the upper part of his chest and pushed him as she pulled the knife out of his throat.

She turned and spotted Sam by a nearby ticket booth. She looked around as he finished off the Nazi he was in a fight with. He had slammed a helmet into his face before jamming the Germans own bayonet into his throat.

  
A group of them had coming running up the stairs at her and knocked her rifle out of her hands. Panicking as the German pinned her knife behind him she grabbed the hidden hilt of the so called lightsaber she kept on her belt. She tumbled it on and with a snap hiss it shot into his chest with a teal colored blade. She leaned back and planted her foot into his chest, kicking him off of it.   
  


She looked at it in surprise before dodging a German bayonet. She brought it down on the rifle, cutting in half before spinning the blade as she drove through his heart. She yanked it off to right cutting off his arm as she pulled it out. She then spun around and delivered a single horizontal slash into another German who cried out as he was killed.   
  


She saw another one coming up from the other side of her and pulled his arm away from her body. She drove the saber up into the side of his rib cage. She pulled it out and spun around delivering a shallow upward arc as she cut a German in half who was raising his gun. The saber had cut through the railing and left a black streak across the once white wall where the German had stood.

Sam glanced in her direction and she quickly shut it off. Placing it back on her belt as she went to grab her rifle. “I didn’t know it could do that.” She said as he just stared at her incredulously. She began to take stock of their surroundings.

Sam looked at her as she looked around and turned to him with an unasked question. He shook his head. They were as far as he knew as the only survivors. They dead surrounded them on the floor as the once pristine floor was now stained red with blood of the dead.   
  


He watched as her head bowed. Her head shot up as she grabbed her rifle. He then heard it. German. It was coming from the stair well and it sounded like there was around twenty of them or more. They had a fight on their hands but they had the element of surprise.

They took positions on each side of the stair well as the Germans came up them. They waited until they were almost all the way up before ambushing them. Dakota three one of her grenades into the stairwell as Sam sprayed them with lead from his machine gun.   
  


Sam reloaded his gun as Dakota did the same when a German they thought was down had gotten up and got off a short burst.

Sam has spotted him aiming at Dakota, his little sister. Oh she was family to him but he nearly had a heart attack when he found out that she had lied to get into this war, when she had been assigned to his unit. He still remembered when he first meet her. She was half feral, bloodied and all sharp edges. When she smiled it was all predatory. But him and his sister made her family. He was sure that Amelia was was going to kill them both once this damned war was over. He would be damned if he could stop any harm from coming to her.   
  


He didn’t think and he just moved. He slammed into her as the German fired. The bullets meant for her slamming into his abdomen causing him to cry out as he fell. He heard a lone rifle thunder out a shot in rage as it tore through the Germans body, spraying the wall with his blood.

Dakota had went to reload when Sam without warning slammed into her. She heard the chatter of a German sub machine gun. She heard as a cry out as she stumbled to the ground and watched as blood sprayed from his body and onto her face from the angle he was at. She watched as he fell to the ground. She turned and with deadly accuracy put a single bullet through the Germans lung. Killing him for good this time.

“SAM!”

  
She ran over to where Sam was laying down, blood seeping from his gut as it looked beneath him. “No, no, no, no, no!” She said quietly with growing dread as she dropped her rifle and sank to her knees as she pulled him into her arms.

”You’re going to be ok Sam. It’s gonna be alright. Just hold on.” She said as she shifted him so he would be comfortable. She knew he was dying and when she looked in his eyes she knew that he also knew that this was it. This would be the day he dies.   
  


“Dakota.” He rasped.

She looked down at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She looked away before shouting with all she had. “MEDIC!” She knew in the back of her mind that it was futile. But she had to at least try.

“Dakota!” He rasped once more. She looked at him as he reached for her face with his bloodied hand. She grabbed it and held it to her cheek. “Say it with me. I’m going home, to where the good times flow and my cup is always full.”   
  


She tried so hard to keep her voice form wavering as she said that with him. “Where the laughter is hearty and the company is good.” Her voiced faltered a bit at the end.

“I love you Dakota. My sister.” He said with as much as a smile as he could muster. But it fell short when he coughed but it fell short blood ran out of his mouth and ran down his chin.

  
“I love you too Sam.” She said as a tear began to roll down her cheek.   
  


He smiled one last time and she watched as the he shuddered as he began to take his last breath. He put it all into his last words. “Don’t worry Raine, I’ll be watching over you.” And with that the light fled from his eyes and he grew still in her arms.

“No. No, no, no. Don’t go, don’t go Sam.” She began to shake his limp body with growing desperation. “Come on, don’t do this Sam don’t do this. Don’t go! Don’t leave me, don’t leave me!” She stopped shaking him as tears rolled down her cheeks leaving lines in the grime and blood on her face. “Don’t leave me.” She said as she held him to her. She began to rock him gently as she sobbed. “Im sorry, I’m so sorry.”   
  


She heard approaching footsteps and could hear them talking back and forth, their English accents clear as they made their way over to her. 

* * *

Riley Taylor ran to catch up to where his unit was massing. He had trained to be a combat medic and had been so for four years of war. He fell in along side his new squad after his last one had been sent back home. He was one of two survivors from the squad. He watched as there Commander came out with a troubled look on his face.

“Alright, listen up lads! We have lost contact with a whole unit not even half a click east of here. The tanks we sent them when he first lost contact with them have also missed their rendezvous with the rest of the army. We are going to head into that town and try to link up with them. The last contact we had with them they had reported stiff resistance. So keep your wits about and your head on a swivel. Move out!” He ordered.

Riley was worried as they began to march to the town. Nearly twenty minutes went by before the half-track suddenly came to a halt. He couldn’t help but wonder why they had stopped. They weren’t even in the town yet.

It soon became apparent as to why.   
  


The fields were littered with the hulks on tanks, some of which were still smoking while just a handful continued to burn. Bodies were strewn across the blood soaked ground. And the earth was upturned and pockmarked from artillery fire.

Just at the edge of the field was a creek bed and before it a small cluster of trees with a single large rock. Next to the rock was large tree that had fallen over. Just a few yards off to the right and ahead of the rock was a single large barn. All of this lead into a town.   
  


The town was wreathed in flames as smoke and embers flew about, giving it an eerie glow. Riley frowned as they moved about checking for survivors. None of them could fathom why so many were dead. His eyes widened as he spotted the remains of an eighty eight sitting next to a two story house.   
  


He realized that the house had a windows facing the fields and at its higher elevation would allow the Germans to inflict horrific casualties from it with a MG nest.

They continued into the town only to find more bodies and burned out tanks. He then saw it.

Bodies everywhere. German. British. All in the streets. Blood running into the sewers like it was a heavy rain. He could see a banged up train station with destroyed emplacements in it as well as around it. It became clear now. This was a rendezvous point they had come across without realizing it.   
  


He ran as fast as he could to the station without stepping on any of the dead. The sight that greeted him when he entered would forever haunt him.

The dead nearly covered every inch of floor. Germans and British alike. The once pristine floor was now coated with blood, making the floor slick. He had to step carefully as he heard the others catch up. “My God! What happened here?!” One of the soldier’s behind him exclaimed.

“Just try to find any survivors.” Riley responded softly.   
  


He headed deeper into the station where he hoped someone would be alive.

“Do you think we’ll find anybody?”

Riley turned and looked at him. “I can only hope.” Was his response. He continued down the hall and before long we could hear faint sobbing coming from up ahead. He hoped that it was one of theirs.   
  


He rounded the corner and immediately all of his thought came to crashing halt. Behind him he could hear the others halt in their tracks. The sight that greeted him was beyond his comprehension.   
  


In front of him had to be over a hundred dead soldiers. And in the middle of it all sat a single allied solider, cradling another one to his chest as tears streamed down his cheeks. Heart wrenching sobs coming from him as his shoulder shook.   
  


He walked over to him and put his hand on his shoulder. Two mismatched eyes that were red with tears stared back at him. He knew it wasn’t much but he it was all he could do. He said the words every medic hated telling those closest to tho dead. He didn’t know how to reply to his response.

“I often wonder what they mean when they say I’m sorry. Are they more sorry for the person who now has to deal with hole left in their heart or tha’ they couldn’t or weren’t able to save them.”

  
He watched as they lad who was covered in blood and grime slowly got up from the floor. He looked at him and shook his head. This was a disaster.

  
“Are you Dakota Skywalker?” He asked. The soldier nodded. “Here.” He said as he pulled a letter form his pocket. “I was told to give this to you, the post was running for your unit.”   
  


He watched as Dakota took it from him and opened it. His eyes widened considerably at more tears sprang from his eyes. He sputtered and a single choked sob came out as he sank to his knees. “My sister was killed in a bombing raid a week ago.” He said in a broken voice.   
  


He wouldn’t have time to even try to offer whatever comfort he could. But something was familiar about Dakota. Both of their heads snapped up to look at each other. “Riley? Riley Taylor?”

“Dakota? Dakota Skywalker?”   
  


He was the one person who Dakota trusted to keep her secret and treat her wounds. They have a brief hug but didn’t get much further.

German.   
  


Coming from the street. Then gunfire soon erupted and they ran to where the others were. The Germans were counter attacking.   
  


The battle raged once more around them in the devastated town. They were being pushed back when the Germans decided to hold their ground instead of pushing. The distraction was all one of the Germans needed and he fired a burst at Dakota.   
  


She gave a cry as she went down clutching her shin. She could see the two bullet holes in it. She started to crawl into cover when another bullet slammed into her already wounded leg, this time from a rifle. In a moment of panic she turned around and fired back at the rifleman. Only to be shot again by another German. This time the bullet struck her under her ribs.

She saw Riley running towards her.

Then they heard an odd sound. It was coming close whatever it was. Then it cut out after a bit. Then a massive explosion.   
  


It sent her flying as the building collapsed around her as it caught fire. Pieces of the burning rubble landing on her already ruined leg. Setting fire to the torn pant leg. She screamed in agony as her flesh caught fire. She could hear people moving about around her as her focused shifted to the pain coursing through her leg. 

  
All of a sudden the Germans unleashed a flamethrower and some of the flames made into the alcove she was trapped in. Burning her leg even further. She knew she was going to die as she felt her blood began to pool underneath her. But to her confusion her vision went white, not black.


	2. Chapter two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end can be a new beginning.

CT-26-5913 was crouched down in front of a vent covering just a couple of inches off the floor trying to fix it. Her DC-15A blaster rifle was leaning up against the wall within arms reach. She didn’t like going anywhere without it.   
  


She sighed underneath her helmet as she glanced back towards the others where she could see Hevy arm wrestling Cutup. Again.

She shook her head before giving up on the vent covering. How it kept coming loose was beyond her.   
  


She stood up and popped her back before leaning back down to grab her blaster. Slinging it back over her shoulder she slowly walked back over towards her station.  
  


“Shouldn’t you be checking your scope Hevy?” She heard Echo say.   
  


She watched Hevy turn around and slam his hand down onto the console. “What do you know? All clear.” He said with mock surprise. “Just like the last hundred times.” This time with annoyance and frustration. “Why can’t we be on the frontlines instead of stuck here?” He said as he shot up. He wasn’t someone to sit there and do nothing. He needed and craved action.

She just rolled her eyes under her helmet. As she walked further into the room.   
  


“I heard it’s because our training was rushed. They want to give us time to brush up a bit.” Echo said. Hevy leaned for intrigued. None of them wanted to be unprepared and if anyone had information that would help with that it would be Echo.   
  


She wasn’t at all surprised that Echo had the answer for that. He was curious and she would admit so was she. She often times talked to Echo and Fives more than the rest of them with the exception of Domino squad who seemed to se her as an honorary member.

She and Echo had done a lot of research using the holonet trying to figure out something she was feeling. Like a piece of her was missing. She couldn’t explain it but while Fives often teased her about having an unidentified soulmate somewhere he helped where he could and offered theories. And sometimes ridiculous plans on how to solve it.

She knew that Echo had probably been eavesdropping on the officers again. Not that she hadn’t done the same thing.

“Besides I don’t mind the quiet, it allows me to catch up on the reg manuals.” He said a light smile as he tapped on the datapad in his hands.   
  


“Echo, What is wrong with you?! We should be on the frontlines blasting droids!” He shouted as he waved his arm around, his voice laced with exasperation and frustration.

“Ah leave him alone Hevy.” Cutup said in a failed attempt at a rescue as it turned more into a soft jab. “You know he was left in his growth jar too long.” Soft chuckles sounded as Echo glared at his brothers.

“That would explain your sense of humor then Cutup.” She said as she walked past him. She loved her brothers but sometime she felt like they teased Echo too much.

“You really should stop picking g on Echo so much Hevy. If we do our jobs time will go faster.” Fives said to the bigger Clone.

“No it doesn’t! It’s pointless! Nothing ever happens here and probably never will!” Hevy exclaimed in frustration.

“Yet this station is of extreme importance.” Came the soft voice of their Sergeant from behind Hevy.   
  


Hevy winced and watched as Cutup spun around and quickly shut off the music before sound the alarm for an officer in the room.   
  


“Attention! Sergeant on deck!”   
  


They all scrambled to attention around the central control station in the room. Though for CT-5913 a feeling of something big settled in her bones. She couldn’t say what it was but she felt it had something to do with that feeling she always had. Like whoever or whatever was causing it would soon be found and it would fade.

“At ease!” Sergeant O’Niner told them. He didn’t say anything about Hevy. He understood that they were bored and Hevy was often the loudest of those voices. They didn’t relax even a little as he began to move. They were still rookies who hadn’t seen battle yet or experienced the unorthodox Jedi. “Yes it is often boring here but this station is vital to this quadrant of the Outer Rim.” He began to slowly walk around the room with a purpose. “If the droids get past this station or take it they could launch an attack on the closest thing we have to a home. Kamino.” He let it sink into their heads a bit as they processed what they had just been told before he continued. “There are two officers from the main fleet coming here for an inspection. Let’s make sure they have nothing to complain about. Understood?”

“Sir, Yes Sir!”   
  


It didn’t take long for something to happen. An alarm began to blare in the control center and the troopers veins began to fill with adrenaline as the hearts began to beat faster. They scrambled to their posts with excitement.  
  


Echo whirled around to and opened the scope to reveal ... meteors. Just meteors. “Incoming meteor shower, Sir.” He couldn’t help but let some of the disappointment stay in his eyes.   
  


“Raise the shields.” Came the cool response from O’Niner. He watched Echo turn back around and put in the commands as the shield came to life around the station. His eyes narrowed as almost every shoulder began to sag a bit in disappointment. Except one he noticed. 5913 and somehow got even more tense.   
  


“You wanted excitement Hevy.” Cutup teased with a grin on his face.   
  


Hevy rolled his eyes. “How exciting. Oooo meteor shower.” 

For 5913 it wasn’t a laughing matter. Deep in her bones she could feel it. She could feel that this would be the catalyst that would lead to the discovery of who or what was causing that feeling of missing something that she had. It would happen today.   
  


* * *

Seeker walked along the platform with a pair of electrobinoculars on his helmet. He loved being out here when the meteor showers happened. The shield kept him safe so he could be outside when the showers happened.   
  


He lowered his electrobinoculars down and began to scan the ground as the meteor shower stopped. He began his scan around the platform.

He spotted something that definitely wasn’t space rock off the left side of the platform. It was a ship. A ship that half buried into the ground.

Seeker frowned underneath his helmet as he twisted the knobs to get a better look. He knew that things wasn’t there before the shower. There was less than nothing there before.   
  


He didn’t want to call it in and raise the alarm if it was nothing more than junk. But he still had to alert the men inside. He leaned forward to her her a better look. 

“What is that..” 

A droid of some kind jumped up into his vision out of nowhere making him jump back as he raised his electrobinoculars.

He was so focused on the droid in front of him he never saw the one coming from behind him. But he did feel the painful jolts of electricity as it coursed through his body. He never knew they were there until it was too late and he fell forwards. His vision began to go black and he knew this was the end. He surrendered himself to the blackness.  
  


* * *

“CT-327 come in, Sentry do you copy?” O’Niner glared at his worst com as he got no answer other than static. “Dang it Seeker come in!”   
  


“Do you think it could be interference from the meteors ?”   
  


“I doubt it Echo, Sarge I don’t see him down there.” Five said from his post where his eyes were glued to his scope trying to see the missing man. O’Niner looked up at noticed two of his men standing at attention with their helmets at the ready. Droidbait and Nub. They tended to draw Deck Officer Duty more than anyone else other than seeker.

O’Niner pointed at Nub and Droidbait.

“You two, go find him.”

The two troopers rushed past him as the put their helmets on to go find their missing man.   
  


O’Niner quietly growled to himself. Of course this would happen right before an inspection.  
  


O’Niners head turned sharply back toward the hall when he heard the tell tale sound of blaster fire echo in it. He could also hear a pair of pained cries underneath it. He jammed his helmet onto his head and grabbed a nearby blaster before running down the stairs. As he ran out of the room he saw 5913 jump down from his post. He ducked behind a support column before the droids could open fire. He got a good look at their numbers and that was too many droids. Enough to wipe them out and take over the station. He turned to whoever had followed him “Sound the alarm!”   
  


“I can’t Sir! They disabled it!”   
  


It had been Echo who had followed to the threshold of the control room. If he could thin out the droids a bit they stood a chance. He fired a few shots, taking out a droid before he turned back towards Echo. He saw that 5913 was beginning to come down the stairs. “Stay there!” He shouted at the trooper. He didn’t want them rushing to their death. 5913 started to protest but he cut him off. “Stay there!” He shouted again. “Contact the fleet! Tell them to se... Ah!” He shouted as a bolt slammed into his exposed knee causing him to fall out into the open.  
  


He watched as Fives pulled Echo back into the room before grabbing 5913 and dragging him back into the control center. His head turned back around to the droids who were now towering over him. He sneered at them from behind his helmet.   
  


The droids raised their blasters and fired.   
  


O’Niner saw just a flash, then something hot burning it way through him. Then darkness.

* * *

5913 watched in horror as the droids fired multiple shots into their Sarge. In anger she broke the hold Fives had on her and dashed back to the door. She raised her rifle and immediately put a bolt through the face plate of one of the droids, knocking it back down the stairs. She then turned her sight onto another droid and fired twice in rapid succession. The droid toppled over backwards as sparks flew from it.

Fives at that moment ran back to her and grabbed yanked her back into the room. From the corner of his eye he saw Cutup run up to the door control panel and slam his hand onto it. The door closed and Cutup ripped open the control panel as he pulled on all the wires inside it. He yanked them free as they sparked in his hand.   
  


“That should slow those hunks of junk down.” He proclaimed with a breath of temporary relief.   
  


Fives smacked 5913 over the head for his stunt before shoving Echo’s helmet into his hands.   
  


As soon as Echo had his helmet in he dashed for the vent that 5913 had been trying to fix earlier. He pulled it off the wall as he waved at them. Fives and Cutup quickly ran over to him and wasted no time in crawling into the vent.   
  


5913 was right behind them as prepared to cover them if need be. Hevy though began to protest until he heard the droids cutting through the door. He ran over to the vent and crawled inside. 5913 slung her waffle back over her shoulder and followed him into the vent. She only paused to grab the vent covering and put it back where it was. It wouldn’t do well for the droids to find their escape route.

The continued down a tunnel that was wide enough for two men to fit into shoulder by shoulder but it would be a bit tight. 5913 passed Cutup who had stopped before falling in behind her. Soon they came across another grating.   
  


Hevy who was now at the front of the line kicked it out. They all froze as it went flying with a clang before landing with another clang. They waited to see if the droids had somehow heard that but nothing happened so they quickly exited the tunnel.

Hevy dropped out first followed by Fives, Echo, 5913 and Cutup at the end. They walked in silence for a it until Fives finally voiced the question they were all thinking. “What do we do now without the Sarge?”   
  


5913 couldn’t help but think that was the question wasn’t it? What now? They had no leader and the others all looked at Hevy for guidance. To lead them.   
  


Hevy shushed Echo who had been talking while 5913 was lost in her thoughts with a hand. “What was that?”   
  


“I’m not sure but that doesn’t sound like droids.”   
  


“Now don’t forget about those giant eels.” Hevy said as he pointed at them while placing a hand in his hip.   
  


Underneath his helmet Fives rolled his eyes at Hevy. The Giant eels of Rishi were something of legend and a bit of a running gag between the troops. Everyone had heard of them but had never seen one. Everyone didn’t believe they were even real much less existed. “Don’t be ridiculous Hevy, those things aren’t..” 

Whatever he was going to say got cutoff by a scream from the end of the line.   
  
They all turned around only to come face to face with a giant eel. An eel that had its massive jaws snapped shut around Cutup as it glared at them with its red eyes.   
  
Blaster fire erupted from Hevy as he screamed Cutup’s name. 

5913 scrambled back up to her feet after the falling down in shock from the sight of the eel with one of her brothers in it’s jaws. Before she could get up all the eel slithered off with a screaming Cutup in its jaws. She watched as Hevy continued to fire until Cutup’s cries faded off.   
  


“What the hell was that?!” He y exclaimed as he waved his hand but he kept his blaster trained in the direction the eel went.   
  


“That was a Rishi eel Hevy. That’s why we have the regulation not to go outside the beyond the base.” Echo told him.   
  


“Let’s move before that thing comes back.” Hevy said as he turned an began to walk down the ledge. Echo though looked over his shoulder as 5913 kept her rifle in her hands.   
  


“Poor Cutup.”   
  


* * *

  
Captain Rex piloted the Nu-Class shuttle towards Rishi Station. Behind him was Commander Cody sitting in the co pilots seat.   
  


“Rishi Outpost, this is Commander Cody. Do you copy. Rishi Station respond.” Cody said as he tried to make contact with the outpost. “Rishi Out do you copy? Rishi Outpost respond!”

The comlink channel finally opens and a helmeted head stared back at Cody. “Sorry for the delay in response Commander. We are currently experiencing technical difficulties.”   
  


“We can help you fix that. This is the inspection team, here to check on the Outpost.” He watched as the trooper shook their head side to side rapidly.   
  


“Inspection team? Negative, Negative Sir! We do not require an inspection team at this time.”   
  


Cody’s gaze hardened. “That’s not your call trooper. It’s ours. We’ll be down shortly.”   
  


“Roger Roger.”

Rex turned around to look over his shoulder when he heard that. “Since when did our boys say Roger Roger? As our Jedi say I got a bad feeling about this.”

“Well it’s your turn to be in charge this time. So good luck.”   
  


“As your Jedi says there is no such thing as luck.” Rex said with a snort.

* * *

A distant whine had them looking up and behind them. It was a single Nu-class shuttle heading for the platform. “It’s Commander Cody! I bet that’s the inspection team.” Fives exclaimed as he recognized the markings on it. 

Together they watched it land.

* * *

Rex exited the shuttle first with Cody right behind him after they landed on the platform. They looked around in disgust at what was before them. “I don’t see a sign of the deck officer anywhere out here.” Cody voiced his thoughts aloud. “This is bad.”

“These boys are being sloppy.” Rex said gruffly. He didn’t even want to think about what the inside of the base looked like. He wasn’t a big fan of regulations like General Skywalker but there were somethings that he and his brother had to do.   
  


* * *

“There walking into a trap! We have to warn them!”

* * *

The doors of the base opens up and a single trooper. A trooper who walking oddly, almost as if he was drunk. His movements were stiff and oddly jointed as he moved. Rex and Cody shifted their grip on their blasters. “I have a bad feeling about this.” If were another time Rex would have laughed. 

That particular common saying form their Jedi could be their motto.

“Welcome to Rishi Outpost. As you can see Commander this Outpost is operating at max efficiency and everything is fine. Thank you for coming and have a safe trip ... back.” Commander and Captain shared a glance with each other. Something wasn’t right. That voice sounded like a clone but more ... robotic.   
  


“We still need to inspect the station.” Cody and Rex steeped closer to the clone who stepped backwards. His arms jerked about wildly as waved them.   
  


“There is no need. The base is fine and fully operational.” The strange clone have them a thumbs up.   
  


Oh something was most definitely wrong.

* * *

Echo continued to poke at his wrist com, trying all different sorts of combinations but each one ended with nothing but static. “It’s no use guys.” Echo’s shoulder sagged in disappointment. “I can’t reach them on their coms because they are using a different frequency that I’m locked out of.”   
  


“Good try Echo.” 5913 said as he placed her hand on his shoulder.   
  


Hevy held up a blaster and cocked it. “We still have this. I bet I can get their attention with this flare.” He then aimed high into the sky and fired.

* * *

“Take us to the Sergeant on duty! Now!” Res growled out. He was fast losing his temper. Not that it was hard to began with.   
  


“Roger Roger.” The clones head gave a sharp and jerky nod. Rex and Cody both looked at each other.

  
A high pitched whistle pierced the night sky as a lone red flare soared high making all three armor clad figures look up at it. “That’s a droid attack flare!” Cody exclaimed. Rex turned back around and without warning raised his blaster with a single hand and shot the trooper in the head. “Woah, Rex! What the hell are you doing?!” Cody stood shocked still at Rex’s action as said clone took a knee next as he set the blaster off the side.   
  


“Relax Cody.” With a sharp jerk of his hands Rex yanked the helmet off the body to reveal, a droid. A droid which had a softly glowing hole in its head as it sparked. Cody joined him now that he was out of his shock. “Looks like one of those new BX Commando droids General Skywalker heard about. They can even mimic preset voices.” Rex shook his head in disgust as he thought about it along with what had probably happened the clones that were stationed here.   
  


“Which means that flare must have come from the survivors trying to warn us and get help!”

Red blaster bolts rained down on the two without warning making the two of them duck for cover. “It’s an ambush!” They returned fire on the commando droids as they rushed to find cover on the platform. Cody put four shots dead on one of the droids up on some containers but it made no difference. The droid leaned back from the force of the shots only to pop back up like some sort of twisted punching bag. “Watch it Rex! These flanker have tough armor!”

Another droid was hit multiple times with a single bolt landing at the bottom of its neck ripping its head clean off.   
  


Rex and Cody darted behind some containers as the droids boxed them in. They continued to fight back as the droids closed in for the kill. “They got us boxed in!” Rex shouted over the noise as Cody cover his six. It couldn’t possibly get worse.

It did.   
  


The doors of the station opened and a handful of droids streamed out as the one in the center ran ahead and threw a single beeping metal ball as hard as it could. The others followed suit.

Rex looked up and through his visor could make out the dreaded beeping red lights of thermal detonators. “Kriff!” Her swore as the hurdled through the air toward him and Cody. He was glad that Ahsoka wasn’t there to hear that. He heard the dull thuds of them hitting the platform and rolling on. Then more dull thuds of other detonators as the too rolled along the platform. The droids were aiming at the ship but they were also in the kill zone. “Off the platform, now!”

“Copy that.”   
  


A massive red and orange fireball ripped through the air, sending shrapnel and sparks everywhere. The shuttle was soon engulfed in another more powerful explosion that ripped it apart sending most of the flaming debris off the platform and crashing down below. Only the cockpit of the shuttle remained on the platform.   
  


The droid Captain with white paint on his face plate stepped forward after the explosions ended. He scanned for any signs of life or death of the clones but found none. “I do not see the clones. The explosion must have pulverized them.” His men responded with harsh barks of recorded laughter. “Return to your defensive posts at once!”

* * *

The clones hadn’t been pulverized at all.   
  


They had just barely made it off the platform in time as their ship was turned into scrap metal and fired their cables into the bottom of it and were just hanging there. They began to slowly ascend downward to the ground underneath them by a piece of flaming wreckage. “Well that certainly complicates things Commander.” He looked at the burning wreckage once more. “Well at least it’s not worse than that time on Tibrin.”

“Yeah , but Rex we had our Jedi with us on Tibrin. They helped...” Whatever Cody was going to say had been forced to wait. Rex had held up a hand to still Cody’s comments as he spotted movement through the smoke. The movement slowly transformed into four Clone troopers. “Stop right there!” Rex barked at them. “Hands above your heads and take off your sun bonnets!”   
  


The four of them froze as they all raised their hands above their heads. “Uh Sir?” One of them questioned.

“Take them off! Now!” Rex growled.   
  


Four pairs of hands reached down an pulled off their helmet, though the smallest of them hesitated. They were all clones though one of them definitely had a feminine face. One them wasn’t a brother but a sister. Rex lowered his blaster as he took in the group in front of him.

There was a roar. Then a hiss from behind him.

A giant eel shot out from its tunnel before it reared up. It’s jaws opening wide to claim its next victim. It made to lunge and Rex was ready. But 5913 was faster.

Rex fired but 5913 fired first. Her shot slammed into its eye just a second before Rex’s shot. The eel gave a dying pained filled fry before it fell to the ground. It kicked up dust and the ground shook when it fell.

Rex glanced over his shoulder and saw that their sister was the one who fired the shot. Her rifle just now being lowered as she went to put back over her shoulder.   
  


Rex walked over to the eel and took his helmet off as he kneeled next to it. “My names Rex.” He said as he placed his hand on the still bleeding eye of the dead eel. He rubbed his fingers together, smearing the dark blood of the eel all over it. He then stood up before turning around to face the four troopers. “But you can call me Captain or Sir.”

“Sir yes Sir!” The chorused together as they snapped to attention. Rex took in their armor and found that it had no signs of the wear and tear of battle. These troopers had never seen battle before.   
  


“And I’m Commander Cody.” He then pulled off his own helmet. “I’m your new boss. Now who are all of you?”

“I’m trooper 27 dash 5555 Sir!” Said the one with a five tattooed to the side of his temple. The biggest one of the four of them rolled his eyes.   
  


“Just call him Fives Sir, we all do. I’m Hevy.” He then gestured to the other two clones. “This is Echo and that’s trooper 26 dash 5913.” 

  
“Where is your Sergeant?” Cody asked them. He watched as their once hopeful faces fell. Echo glanced around but no one said a thing. He glanced at his sister once but she only gave him a nod. Her amber eyes glowed in the light of the fire from the wreckage. He took a breath then spoke.

“Our Sarge..” his voice shook and he took a breath. “Sergeant O’Niner was killed when the droids took over the base. We’re all ... all that’s left.” Rex new that in all likelihood that some their batch mates had been killed with the others. It was common to send a batch to the same posting before they were sometimes split up.

“Well Commander looks like we ourselves a group of shinnies.” Rex said as he walked toward them. He was gruff on purpose. A distracted soldier was a dead one. He needed to snap them out of their funk.   
  


“Shinnies Sir?” Echo asked with clear confusion. He had never heard of the term before.

“It’s what is old hands call you. It’s because of your armor.” He placed the hand covered in eel blood right onto Echo’s chest plate. “Your armor is shinny and new. Shinny and new, just like you.” He pulled his hand back and left a perfect blue handprint right on Echo’s armor.

“Sir we may be shinnies,” Hevy began “but we were still frowned and we’re ready to fight. To take back this base. Shinny or not we’ll make those droids pay.”   
  


Rex turned around and looked back at them with a sharp grin. “There’s hope for you rookies yet.” He finally got a good look at 5913. Her black hair was braided on the sides while the top was slicked back where they all meet into a single braid at the back of her head. Her eyes were closer to that of amber when light was shined through it than the brown eyes that they all shared.  
  


They all shared an excited look except for 5913 who was lost in her thoughts. She didn’t want them to know. She was sure they would hate her now. And to add to her anxiousness the feeling in her gut was intensifying rapidly.   
  


Echo must have noticed her expression before he turned to her. “Are you alright?”   
  


“I didn’t want you to know. I thought you would hate me. I’m a freak.” She mumbled. “A failure and an abomination.”   
  


Echo looked like he had been slapped in the face. He didn’t know who had told her that but he didn’t believe that for a second. And when he looked at the shocked faces around him he that slowly turned to fury at whoever had made her think that, he knew he was not alone.

So he did the one thing he could think of. He pulled her into a crushing hug as Fives joined him with Hevy placing his hand on her shoulder. He was followed by Rex and Cody who did the same thing as Hevy.   
  
5913 went rigid as Echo hugged her with Fives.

“You are none of those things. Your are my sister first and foremost. And I speak for everyone here when I say I love you. Snarky and caring you.”

5913 looked at the others and they all nodded their agreements with Echo. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes and she gave a sniff but have them a watery, hesitant smile. “You mean it?”   
  


“Every word.” Fives said for them all.

She responded by giving them each a hug before pulling on her helmet. “Let’s get those clankers and take back the base!” She said as she headed for the cliff, clearly not comfortable at being the center of attention.   
  


Echo smiled and pulled on his helmet before following her up the cliff. The others right behind him.   
  


* * *

Her world exploded into blinding pain that left her breathless as the white that had filled her vision clears out.   
  


She began to take in her surroundings.She definitely wasn’t in that forsaken town but she had no ideas where she was. The ground had no life on it and she was on a metal platform. When she thought about it the ground was covered in craters. She had no idea how she got here so she shifted from where she was leaning with her back against a metal box or wall of some sort to get a better view but immediately regretted that. When she moved her left leg it _hurt_ and left stars in her vision.

She glanced around and found that she still had her gear and bag with her. Through her pain filled haze she spotted her rifle just out of arms reach. To her that was unacceptable. She was in an unknown place with no allies and where anyone could be a threat. She rather have the ability to take them out from a distance than waiting for them to get close. She knew she wasn’t in fighting shape.   
  


She made to reach for it without leaning over to far stressing her wounds further and her torso screamed at her as the bullet wound there made itself known. But she slipped causing her to fall over making her ruined leg lift off the ground before slamming back into it. That time she couldn’t keep quiet and she screamed in pain.   
  


Through her tears she noticed a single figure in white swoop down from a crate nearby and run towards her.

* * *

5913 was the first one to climb up onto the platform followed by Echo, Hevy, Fives then Rex and Cody.

Once on top of the platform 5913 climbed on top of one of the containers that lined the sides of the platform. She spotted what looked like a body across the platform by another container. She ignored it at first think it was simply poor Seeker.   
  


That was until it moved to reach for something before it fell over and cried out it pain. The scream of pain that came form it made her head along with the other’s snap towards it.   
  


She jumped off the container and ran to the figure. Something deep in her bones telling her to go to it. The other were hot on her heels as they silently prayed to the Force that the droids hadn’t heard that scream.

5913 kneeled down next to them and immediately they said to her “Your like a Kestrel.” She got a good look at their wounds and immediately put pressure on the wound on their torso. Their leg though was in horrible shape. It had been nearly shot off and almost all the skin from just below the knee was charred.   
  


“Sir, we can’t leave him here.” She said over her shoulder to the Rex who was closer.   
  


“All right. Stay behind us 5913.” Rex said though he didn’t like it. He didn’t know where they came from but he was sure it was after they had been ambushed. He couldn’t have been on the platform then because they would be dead. They had no armor to speak of but were clearly some sort of soldier. But he wasn’t about to leave a wounded man to die. They could sort this out later with the General’s help.

“Kestrel. My name is Kestrel now, Sir.” When she turned her head back to the unknown soldier before her she watched as their eyes which had been shut due to the pain finally opened. She bit back a gasp when she saw them. One eye with the color of blue lightning and one ocean green eye stared back at her. She was startled not only because they were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen but because she had seen them in a dream just a couple of nights ago.

“We can’t stay here. Your going to have to carry him.” Cody told her. Behind his helmet his gaze was very much concerned for the unknown person. He had seen all sorts of wounds but that one was one of the worst. He knew they wouldn’t be able to walk on it.

“As long as those tweezers occupy this post our home planet of Kamino is at risk.” Rex said as he passed his carbine to Echo while Cody passed his to Fives.

Echo looked down at his carbine before speaking. “Buts there so many of them.”

“Doesn’t matter, we have to take back this base so we will take back this base.” Rex said as he pointed towards the blast doors. The three troopers responded by cocking their blasters.  
  


“Well how do you plan on getting us past those blast doors Rex ol boy?” Cody asked him.

“I have a few ideas.” He said with his pistol raised.   
  


“Do your think you can stand?” Kestrel asked them. She watched as they gave a nod. Kestrel gently helped the unknown soldier sit up before she as gently as possible lifted them up and helped them stand.   
  
“My rifle!”   
  


Fives leaned down and grabbed it before helping them place it over their shoulder.

They made their way around the sides of the platform to avoid detection. They took up positions on with side of the door while Captain Rex stayed behind them.

* * *

Cody silently cursed Rex with everything he could think of. He knew his long time brother had always thought out side of the box but this was something that had Skywalker haphazardness written all over it.   
  


Rex was staggering up to them and he knew the inspiration behind it. On Coruscant he had seen many of his brother walk like that after drinking away their pain at losing their fellow brothers.

He did admit to himself that it did look a lot like the walk of a BX droid.

* * *

They stood guard on the inside of the blast doors. An alarm sounded making one of the three BX’s turn around. “What is that?”   
  


He looked at the monitor on the wall and saw a single figure in clone armor walking towards them. “Unit 2-6 is that you?” He hit a button an extended an eye like camera to get a better look.

 **“Roger Roger.”** The voice didn’t sound right.

“You sound strange is something wrong with your vocabulator?”   
  


The figure placed a hand on the side of their helmet. **“Roger Roger.”**

“Take off your helmet. I need to see your face plate.”

**“Roger Roger.”**

* * *

Rex bent down underneath the camera’s view as he took off his helmet. He reached around blindly until Echo kicked the head of a droid to him and he held it up in front of the camera. He prayed to the Force that they weren’t looking for an identity markers.

“Kriff, this is never going to work.” Kestrel snickered as she watched the esteemed Commander of the 212th face palm as he shook his head. She knew that Huey was also probably finding it amusing while Echo was probably shocked by Rex’s plan that ignored all the manuals. Fives on the other hand should probably be observing then tweaking the plan in his head silently.

She thought it had a chance however small it was to work.

The door opened and revealed three BX’s who had their blaster in hand. They didn’t find a droid though but a very angry clone holding a pistol just feet from the center ones face. “Roger, Roger.” Rex taunted them before he shot the center droid in the head. Cody and Fives jumped out and finished off the remaining droids with just a few shots. “Right let’s move!”

Kestrel stayed behind them moving fast enough to keep up but not risk injuring the soldier further. She watched as they darted up to the base of the stairs before stopping.   
  


“Permission to take point Sir?” Hevy asked Rex.

“I’m always first kid.” Was all Rex said before running up the stairs. He spotted a droid walking across the doorway and hit it in the head before immediately shooting another one at the center console in the head.   
  


They were slow to react as they turned to watch the droid get shot down before finally returning fire at the clones.   
  


Rex hit another one in the chest plate before shooting it again but this time in the head. Cody, Fives and Echo stepped out from behind their cover and fired upon the droids as Rex darted forward. One of the droids dodged a wide shot before fishing a single bolt back at the clones which hit Fives in his left arm.   
  


He cried out in pain as he ducked behind cover.

“Fives!” Echo shouted as he turned hi attention and body towards his main protector and closest brother.

“He’s fine, focus on the battle.” Cody told Echo calmly over his shoulder before turning his attention back to the droids.

Underneath his helmet Echo frowned. Fives needed him but he saw Fives give a subtle shake of his head as if he read his thoughts. He turned back to the battle. Commander Cody was right. They needed him to fight.

Rex had his back pressed against the little stairs leading into the center console when a bolt landed close to him as he spotted was must be the leader of the droids. That’s if it’s white paint was anything to go by. He quickly pivoted and fired a shot at it that sent the blaster in its hand flying. The droid gave a robotic growl before it pulled a vibrosword off its back and leapt of the console it had been perched up on at Rex. He just barely rolled out of the way of the swing that was aimed for his head as it clanged off the floor. The droid swung again and Rex got behind the droid and grabbed its head in his hands. He twisted with all his might as sparks flew from it before slamming it into the floor as hard as he could to make sure it was dead.

Cody had moved up and ducked behind the center console as a droid fired at him and reappeared off to its side before killing it.   
  


Hevy and Echo cornered one and and it soon joined the other droids in destruction as it hit the floor to never move again. “I got one! I junked one!” Echo shouted as it hit the ground.   
  


“Sorry Echo but I junked that one.” Hevy told his brother.   
  


“Like Hell you did.” But Echo didn’t push it. Cody moved over to the console as everyone removed their helmets. Echo joined Fives, Hevy and Rex over the sparking body of the Commando Captain. Kestrel helped move the soldier into the room and they joined them.

She was getting more and more concerned by the second. She was quickly becoming the only one holding him up as time went on.

“Not so tough are ya now are ya, sparky!” Echo and Fives rolled their eyes at Hevy. Only he would taunt a dead droid.

“What’s your name soldier?” Rex asked as they joined the others.

The soldier looked up from their currently hunched position at Rex with a guarded look in their eyes. “I’m a Sargent in tha’ British Army. Name’s Dakota Skywalker.” Dakota told him.   
  
Rex blinked in shock before quickly schooling his features into a perfect poker face. He wasn’t exactly sure what the British were but he glanced at Cody who kept fiddling with the controls as if he never heard their name. Cody looked up from the scanner at the console. “Get to the window. We got more guests.”   
  


They ran up to the window while Kestrel helped Dakota who was beginning to get dizzy. Once up there Echo out his helmet back on and pulled down his electrobincoluars. He zoomed in where he saw movement in the stars. He could family make out ships of some sort so he zoomed in even more. He gasped as he realized just what he was looking at.   
  


An entire Separatist fleet. He told them as much.   
  


“That why they attacked the base! They’re launching an full scale invasion!” Cody said as the others all came to the same horrifying realization.   
  


“We have to warn Command.”

Echo didn’t wait. He ran back down the stairs and to the center console. He sat down in the chair and went over the controls. “It’s no good, there droids messed up our systems.” He growled. He felt useless at the moment. “The all clear signal is basically busted so I can’t turn it off.” He glanced up at the men standing in front of the windows. “I can fix it but I need...”

“We don’t have time.” Rex’s voice was sharp. In front of them a single C-9979 transport made its way down to the landing pad at the end of the platform. Once it was down it began to unload its troops. A squadron of battle droids with just a handful of super battle droids marched down the ramp.

“Well Hevy,” Fives said as he flicked his eyes at Hevy. “You always did say wanted to be on the frontlines.”   
  


They watched the droids line up but it was too many for them to hold off on their own. Something the Cody voiced. “There too many clankers down there, we won’t be able to hold them off for long. But we can’t just give up this outpost.”

“Then we’ll destroy the outpost instead.” Rex said as he turned around as he ignored the looks sent his way by Hevy and Fives. Though he did narrows his eyes as he comaught sight of Kestrel quickly catching Dakota before he could fall over. He knew that he needed medical attention. Medical attention that none of them were qualified for.   
  


“But sir! Sir our mission is to defend this Outpost at all costs. Not destroy it.” Echo said as he looked over his shoulder at the men on the ledge. They in turn all turned and looked at him as he said that.

“We have to warn them about the invasion. They’ll take notice when the all clear signal stops.” Rex said as he began to look out the window and down on the droids once more.   
  


“That’s right.” Fives said catching onto Rex’s plan. “When they stop receiving the signal they’ll know that something is wrong.”   
  


“We will need every thermal detonator in this base.” Rex said as he placed his hand under his chin. 

“You’ll need more than just a few detonator to to destroy this place.” Hevy stated.   
  


“What about the LT?” Echo voiced from down below. “This moon basically freeze for half the year. We use liquid tibanna to heat the base.”   
  


“Liquid Tibanna, highly explosive. It’ll level the place.”   
  


“Good thinking! Bring the tanks here and prime the detonators!”

Kestrel caught Dakota once more causing him to moan in pain. Her hand came back covered in blood. She looked at him alarmed before noticing the wounds had been bleeding. Dakota was losing too much blood. He seemed even more confused than before and his pulse was wearing. She was certain that wasn’t good.   
  


Thking fast she picked him up dashed over to Echo. “Move it! Grab me a canteen and a med kit!”   
  


Echo wisely shot out of the chair before she could kick him out of it. He sprinted to go grab the items she asked for. He came back and watched her quickly grab a tourniquet and place it as tight as she could on the mangled leg which was now dropping blood in the floor. She then raised his legs before helping him get a drink from the canteen. At that point Echo left to catch up with Rex and the others.

She then carefully applied a simple bandage that she tied in place with a enough pressure to stem the flow of blood from their torso.   
  


She looked deep into Dakota’s mismatch eyes before lowering back down the shirt she had moved to get to the wound. She had noticed the wrappings underneath the shirt under the uniform that Dakota was wearing. She did the amuse thing so she knew what she was looking at. So she waited until Dakota looked her gaze before speaking. “I won’t tell them. That’s your decision. Stay here and don’t move.”

Dakota only nodded dumbfounded by the fact she had been found out but the trooper wouldn’t tell anyone her secret. She could tell that they weren’t lying and wouldn’t say a thing unless she said otherwise. She watched as the trooper pulled off their helmet to reveal a female face before giving her a quick wink and running off to the others. To Dakota that was more reassuring than she cared to admit.   
  


Kestrel ran off the where the others were standing nearby as Rex gave them the run down. “All right listen up! There’s only one target of interest in this sector. The closest thing we have to a homeworld. Today we fight for more then the Republic. We fight for all of our brothers and maybe even more sisters back on Kamino. Understood?”

“Sir, Yes Sir!” They chorused together. They donned their helmets.   
  


Kestrel followed them into the weapons room. “We can use what’s in here to even the odds a bit Commander.” She heard Hevy say. She ignored the spare helmets on the rifles. Waiting for their owners to come and claim them. Owners that would never come. She did grab her own spare helmet and rifle. She grabbed some more amok for her rifle before grabbing a carbine as well. She refused to leave Dakota up there defenseless against the droids.   
  


“This one is mine.” Hevy held up the Z-6 with near reverence. Cody snorted.

“Big gun doesn’t make a big man.” Was all he said.

She sprinted back to Dakota. “Here I wasn’t sure which one you would be more comfortable with but this is my spare helmet. I’d rather not risk you getting any more injuries so here.” She said awkwardly.   
  


Dakota just looked at her before taking the helmet form her hands and putting it on. She had lost her’s from the army when the building had collapsed on her. She gingerly put the rifle through a spare spot on her pack. “I’ll keep it but use the carbine for now.”   
  


Kestrel nodded, satisfied with the answer. She gave her a quick rundown of the weapon before running back to Cody as Rex and Echo wrestled and unhappy PLNK droid from it hiding spot.   
  


Kestrel followed Fives down the hall and to the blast door as she pulled her rifle off her shoulder. She took a breath and got ready.

Hevy took up a position in the middle of the door. He waited until a droid walked up the the door. “Reinforcements reporting. Open up.” Came the nasally voice of a B1 battle droid from the panel by the door.   
  


The droids watched as the door opened, three of them looking straight into the center. 

“You didn’t say please.” Hevy lifted his Z-6 then happily started blasting away the droids. He caught them off guard and they quickly fell to him.   
  


“Look!” A droid shouted as it pointed at him “Clones! Get them!” Hevy rolled his eyes as Cody, Fives and Kestrel joined him. Battle droids were really stupid. Cody and Kestrel took potshots at the droids while Fives on the other hand took a more direct approach and lobbed a thermal detonator at the droids.

Now the platform was on fire due to the oil from the destroyed droids catching fire from the explosion. Fives opened fire while duel wielding a pair of DC-15s carbines.

But the droids kept advancing, forcing them to fall back inside the station. “We could use a Jedi right about now.” Cody said just before he hit the button to close the blast doors.

They fell back deeper into the station taking positions in the hall leading to the stairs. The droids blew opens the doors and fired as soon as they were inside. Red bolts streaked down the hall towards the clones who returned fire with their own blue bolts. They took what cover they could find. “Get back to the officer’s!” Hevy ordered Fives and Kestrel.   
  


Fives took off while Kestrel fired off a few more shots before running after him. He and Kestrel darted past Cody who waited for him. Cody and Hevy laid down cover fire before Cody tapped his shoulder. They stopped firing, turned and ran back to command center. Cody jabbed at his com as he ran. “Rex, we’re running out of time!”   
  


* * *

“Almost ready. The handset isn’t linking up with the detonator.” Rex growled in frustration. Echo was just by Dakota as he put some last minute adjustments to the center console.   
  


The others came running in by Dakota took no notice. The adrenaline in her system had run off and she was in so much pain. It _hurt._ Her vision was blurred underneath the helmet by unshed tears as she gritted her teeth to stop herself from crying out from any moment from her destroyed limb as her others wounds made their protests loudly.

Kestrel immediately made her way to Dakota as she heard Rex ask Hevy to fix the detonator. Dakota gave a cry of pain as she helped her up and towards the vent.   
  


Fives pulled off the vent and Rex was the first to enter followed by Cody then Echo. She helped Dakota down as Fives helped them crawl along by trying to keep her leg from touching anything without hurting her further. He wasn’t very successful if the pained cries and muffled screams were anything to go by.   
  


At one point just before the made it to the tunnel from the vent Fives’ hand slipped and something came off her leg and it fell onto the floor. The scream that came from Dakota would haunt them forever. Fives looked at his hand and nearly screamed himself but bit his cheek to stop himself. It was a piece of clothing with flesh attached to it in his hand. He swallowed hard and tried not to throw up.   
  


They dropped out of the tunnel and onto the ledge and that was when things got worse for Dakota. Kestrel and Echo couldn’t stop her from hitting her leg on the ground from the drop and she gave a short shriek then went eerily quiet.

Kestrel quickly out her fingers on Dakota’s pulse point on her neck and was relieved that she could feel a pulse.

Echo helped her pick up Dakota as Fives dropped down. They followed Rex and Cody up the ledge.   
  


Rex turned around and hooded to Cody. Ther were far enough away. “Alright Hevy hit the...” but Hevy wasn’t there. “Where’s Hevy?” He questioned. They all looked behind them and saw nothing. 

“Relax Cody, ... I’m on it.” Rex jabbed at his wrist com before he raised his wrist. “Hevy, where are you?”   
  


**_“The link up isn’t_ _working Sir, I’ll have to detonate it manually.”_**

**_“Hey hold on there! Blast him!”_** The sound of the nasal voice of a battle droids followed by blast fire over the com made everyone go tense.   
  


“We have to help him!” Echo shouted. He was ready to turn around. Cody nodded.   
  


“Back to the tunnel, now!”

**_“It’s no use! I know what I have to do!”_ **

“I don’t like your tone Rookie!” Rex all but yelled into the com. They took off back towards the tunnel. Kestrel though stood where she was, she had to stay with Dakota. Rex seemed to realize this as he whipped back around. “Stay here!” She only nodded back but he was already on the move.   
  


* * *

Hevy knew they were coming back.   
  


Instead he kept on fighting. He got down low and used his leg to make a more stable shot and shot down the droids. _**“What’s going on soldier?!”**_ He didn’t cry out when a shot hit his shoulder. It was like he was in a trance. He could hear them shouting at him through his wrist com but he ignored them. _**“Answer us Hevy! That’s an order!”**_

He made it back to the command center only to be outnumbered again. He didn’t care. He accepted that today would be the day he fired but he would do it for his brothers, for his sister. He would die so they could live. But he would completely the mission to destroy the base.

He opens fire on the droids, destroying several of them before his Z-6 clicked. It was out of ammo. In a last ditch effort to by more time as he made his to the detonator and away from the droids he threw it at the ones coming from behind him. It knocked down three of them, crushing them under its weight.

He ran towards the detonator.

Pain. Multiple points of pain across his back. Worse than his shoulder. He fell and lay still.

But he wasn’t gone.   
  


He wasn’t beaten.   
  


**_“Hevy! Hevy?! Come in Hevy!”_** He could hear Echo’s frantic voice coming from his wrist com. He pushed himself up and began to crawl to the detonator. He was doing this for Echo, Fives and Kestrel. He was doing this for his brother and maybe even more sisters. He was doing this for the ones on Kamino, the ones he would never meet and the ones he who had fallen before him.   
  


He did something he had never done before. He prayed to the Force. _Please Force if your real and will listen to a clone, protect Fives, Echo and Kestrel. Protect all of my brothers. And whatever sister or sisters there are. Protect them please_

He pulled himself up as he heard the droids ask if they take prisoners. Her heard their blaster cocoas they all aimed at him. Using what was left of his strength he pulled himself up onto the detonator. 

“I. Don’t.” He pushed the trigger on the detonator. 

* * *

The explosion shook the moon. 

It spewed fire and smoke high into the night sky as it flung debris all around. The platform shook and groaned as its moorings were destroyed. It came crashing down into the cliff it once jutted out over. The debris fell down onto the surface like the meteors had just hours beforehand.   
  


The clones pressed themselves under the rocks to avoid being crushed by the debris. They watched the flaming debris in front of them in mournful silence. “Hevy always did hate that place.” Echo said aloud.   
  


“I guess it’s fitting that he got to blow it up.” Fives said voice filled with grief just like Echo’s.

Echo pulled down his electrobincoulars as everyone else watched the burning base. He watched the Separatist fleet turn around and jump into hyperspace. “We’ve got those tinnies on the run.” Echo cheered. “All thanks to Hevy.”

Rex turned his head towards the familiar sound of gunships. “We’re getting off this crater boys and girl.”   
  


The gunships came in low and they climbed aboard as they helped steady Kestrel when she jumped a board. The sound of the explosion and the movements of Kestrel woke Dakota.   
  


The first thing Rex did as soon as the doors opened on the gunship after it landed back in the Resolute’s hangar was shout for a medic. 

That of course had the unintentional affect of making General Skywalker come running over to them instead of waiting. 

It didn’t take long for Coric to come running into the hangar with a pair of troopers. “They’re medic’s. They on make make you better, I’ll come back to you.” Kestrel added the last part when she saw Dakota reach out for her before giving a nod. They helped Kestrel place Dakota on the stretcher and Coric bit back a wince when he saw what was left of the limb. He quickly whisked Dakota off to the med bay.   
  


Rex saw General Skywalker glance at General Kenobi who have a nod at the look they two shared when. He’d have to tell them his name eventually.

* * *

“On behalf of the Republic, we thank you for your valiant service as we honor the sacrifice made by your comrades.”   
  


“Your new unit is lucky to have you and I proud to have you as part of the 501st.”   
  


This was the second time Fives and Echo had received medals but this time it was just them and not all five of Domino squad. For Kestrel this was the first time she had ever received a medal. Her trainer on Kamhad denied her her medal. She had been told that she didn’t deserve it. That it wasn’t for mistakes.

They saluted the Jedi Generals on autopilot as they bowed before walking off.   
  


In one day, in one battle they had lost so much. They had lost their brothers. Droidbait, Cutup and Hevy. For Kestrel she had lost the only people who she knew had accepted her into their squad.   
  


Fives and Echo had been told it happens all the time but living it different form simply hearing about it.   
  


Kestrel though was lost. She understood that it wasn’t her fault but she had always been told that it would be. She didn’t understand. Maybe Rex, Cody or Dakota could help her clear her confusion.   
  


“Well done.” Rex was rare with his praise but when he felt it was deserved he gave it. “You three earned it.”   
  


They all looked down and Echo was the one to voice their thoughts. “With all due respect Sir, we failed the mission. We don’t deserve this honor.”   
  


“I agree with Echo.” Kestrel voiced from beside him.

“No.” Cody’s voice was sharp catching them off guard. “If it wasn’t for you Kamino would be under threat of invasion and the Republic would never know until it’s too late.”   
  


“You showed me something today. You’re exactly the kind of troopers I need in the 501st.”

“Sir, Yes Sir!” The trio saluted then marched through the clones who had shown up to honor them. Soon they would be facing more battles.   
  


As soon as they were out from in between the other troopers Kestrel took off for the med bay following her gut as she weaves through the ship’s corridors as she went to find Dakota. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dakota finds herself in a rather interesting situation while the Jedi temple on Coruscant have to figure out a mystery of their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a review! They mean a lot and do help inspire.

Coric was extremely worried when he came running over to gunship that brought back Captain Rex. He had heard the shout for a medic and came running over there with General Skywalker. His relief at realizing it wasn’t for one of his brothers was short lived. It vanished immediately when he saw the injured soldier in the unknown brothers arms.   
  


He knew that there was no way he would be able to save that limb. _If it could even be called that anymore._ He thought. The clothing had been burned into what was probably at one point flesh. The bone had been shattered already by a projectile while he saw two more projectile wounds near it but smaller in diameter. He was going to have to amputate the leg.

He put her under then set him on the operating table.

He set about treating her leg first which he realized was slowly bleeding still. He frowned as he efficiently set about amputating the limb. He then treated the projectile wound in his tor-.   
  


His mind short circuited as he froze.   
  


He knew that those weren’t on male. His patient was a female. He shook himself out of his stupor and treated the wound. When he was done he had one of the technicians help him move her to a bed so he could watch her. He set her up on a blood transfusion before moving away. He needed to find General Skywalker.

* * *

Aria walked through the halls of the Resolute. “Do you think whoever that was is the cause of the disturbance in the Force?” She looked over at Obi-Wan was was walking next to her.

“I don’t know but I think it’s highly possible. We should ...” Whatever Obi-Wan was going to have to wait as Aria’s com began to beep.   
  


She glanced at it before hitting it. “General Skywalker.”

_**“General Skywalker, I need you in the Medbay. It’s about the unknown person they brought with them.”** _

“Alright, I’ll be right there.” She looked at Obi-Wan. “Care for a walk to the Medbay?”

“Lead on.” Was all he said.   
  
Aria’s mind was also on one of the trooper’s from the medal ceremony. Mostly because that particular trooper was a _female_ clone. She didn’t know that bay existed. And if one was here, then could there be more?   
  


She reminded herself to check on all three of them later.   
  


A few minutes later she and Obi-Wan entered the Medbay. Lying in a bed dressed in browns was a single figure. Their left leg was gone just below the knee and wrapped in bacta soaked bandages. The curious thing was that they had a blanket over them. What was unexpected was to one trooper sitting right by their side. Their rifle leaning up against the bed as they slept in a chair next to it.

She looked questioningly at Coric. 

“That’s Kestrel. She came in her right after I put the unknown in the bed. She hasn’t moved from her spot since. The problem is that they are obviously military of some sort. That and they were clearly wounded. The odd things is that the wounds were consistent with slug throwers.” Coric took a breath before continuing. “Her leg was beyond any hope for saving. The flesh was burned down into the muscles and slug thrower wounds nearly cut it off. I couldn’t find any piece of that leg that wasn’t burned. The body was covered in deep bruises consistent with a something burying them.”

Aria looked away from Coric and back to the figure in the bed. “Do we have a name?”   
  


“No. But if anyone knows it it’s the one who came back from Rishi Outpost.”   
  


“Good work Coric.” Aria turned to Obi-Wan. If you contact the Council, I’ll go find the men from that mission and see what they know. Coric contact me when they wake up.”   
  


“Sir, what about the gear they had on them?”

“What gear?”

Coric pointed to a pack with a rifle and pistol of some sort on it. The person's shirt was there too. The uniform shirt had markings of rank and a single flag on the opposite side that she had never seen before. She glanced at the weapons before looking questioningly at Coric.   
  


“Not sure if they are blasters or not.”

“Leave them there for now, we’ll see what our soldier can tell us about them. They are personalized so let’s just leave them alone.”

“Yes General.”

Aria then turned and walked out of the room.

She decided to com Rex and ask him to bring Cody and all the other troopers from Rishi to meet up with her. 

* * *

Rex was showing Fives and Echo the training room when his com began to beep. As he moved to answer it he saw in the corner of his eye Cody walk in. He excused himself real quick and answered it. “Captain Rex.”

“Rex I need you to gather whoever was on Rishi and bring them along with you and Cody to me. I want to know everything you do about the soldier in the Medbay.”   
  


“I’ll be right there Sir.” He made his back over to the others. “Do any of you know where Kestrel is? General Skywalker wants all to meet her by the Medbay. And by all I mean is us four.”

“I saw her run off towards the Medbay earlier. She’s might already be there.” Echo told him.   
  


Rex nodded. “Alright let’s go.”   
  


They made their way through the ships halls towards its Medbay. Waiting for them just by the door was General Aria Skywalker.   
  


Rex watched as she opened the doors and ushered them inside the Medbay. “Wasn’t there another?”

“Yes Sir, but she’s right there.” Echo said as he pointed behind Aria and to the now stretching trooper.

“Alright first I would like to know your names.” Aria told them. She found it odd that the female clone had picked up her rifle and brought it with her.   
  


“I’m CT-...” Fives didn’t get much farther before Aria stopped him.   
  


“I said name, not your number.”

Fives seemed taken aback at first. “Fives.”

“Echo.”

“Kestrel.” That one caught Aria’s attention. She listened to the Force as it hinted that there was a strong bond between Kestrel and the injured soldier. _Interesting._ Aria thought.   
  


“Alright so just where did they come from?”

“They weren’t there on the platform when the droids ambushed me and Cody. But when we got back up there to take back the base they were up there. Kestrel saw them first.” Rex told his General.

Aria sighed. “That’s not exactly helpful but thank you.” She rubbed at her face eyes with her mechanical hand. “Anything else you can give me? Like a name or something?”

“He said something about a British Army, that’s what they were apart of.” Rex took a breath. “They said their name is Dakota Skywalker.”

Aria blinked at him surprise and shock on her face. “What?”

“Dakota Skywalker.”

Aria turned back around and looked at the injured soldier. She pulled the Force close to her and it pulled. It pulled at Dakota and then Kestrel. Aria’s eyes widened as she realized there was an incredibly strong bond between the two. “I would like to speak to Kestrel alone please.”

They nodded and left the room leaving just Kestrel before Aria.

“Did you feel anything out of the ordinary before _she_ was found by you?” She gently asked the trooper before her.

Kestrel gave a small nod and Aria picked up on her discomfort. “You’re not in trouble. I’m trying to figure something out.”

“I felt as if something was missing. Sometimes I had these dreams where I was seeing through someone else’s eyes.” Kestrel admitted.

“That sounds like a very strong Force bond. Is this your first time aboard a Venator?” Another nod. “So you had no idea where the Medbay was then?” Another nod. “Well that confirms it. Through Force bonds you can track the other person to where they are even if you have never been somewhere before.”

“I saw her eyes in my dreams.”

Aria smiled softly at Kestrel. “It seems you two were destined by the Force for each other. It has already made a strong bond between you two.”

* * *

Jedi Temple, Coruscant

  
When she came to the looked up and saw a ceiling. She blinked and the ceiling was still there. She sat up and winced as her sore body protested the movement.

As she looked around a bit more she noticed things that definitely were out of the ordinary. There was odd electrical equipment along with more odd screens. It had a clinical feel to the room but it was clearly more advanced than any technology she had seen before.

She was confused. Where was she? Last she remembered was being an explosion. Something piercing her abdomen and the building she was in collapsing.   
  


“You’re awake. Good I was just coming to check on you.” She turned at the voice and jumped out of her skin. She scrambled off the bed and fell onto the ground. She quickly scrambled to her feet. Before for her stood only what could be some sort of alien. And to think she used to make fun of and for thinking there is probably life beyond Earth.

For Vokara Che it was not the reaction she had even been remotely expecting. She hadn’t meant to startle her patient. She slowly raised her hands in a placating motion. “I didn’t mean to startle you but you need to be careful. You’re still recovering.”   
  


“What are you and where am I?!” She shouted with an accent.

“Easy, take deep breath’s. I’m a Twi’Lek and my name is Vokara Che. I’m the head healer hear at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.” She slowly approached the young woman. She gently placed her hands on hers and helped her sit down on the bed. “Cane you tell me your name?”

“Amelia MacIntyre.”   
  


“Alright Ms...”

“Just call me Amelia please.”

“Amelia then. Can you tell me where your from?”

“London.”

“London? There’s no planet called London.”

“That’s because it’s a city. It’s in England.” Then suddenly something that Vokara had said. She said ON Coruscant. Was she on a ship or some sort? She asked this aloud.

“No Coruscant is a planet.” Silence was all that Vokara got from Amelia.   
  


“I’m not on Earth?” She asked as her breath hitched. What of Dakota, or Sam? They would think her dead. She didn’t have anyone here. A single sob came from her before the dam burst and she cried. She was now in a strange world and so painfully aware that she had no one. Poor Dakota and Sam probably thought she was dead.

* * *

Obi-Wan made his way to the bridge and commed the Jedi Council.   
  


“Master Kenobi.” Mace Windu stated from where he was.   
  


“I believe we found the source of the disturbance in the Force. She came aboard with the survivors from Rishi Outpost.” The Council all shared looks before Obi-Wan spoke again. “You don’t think they were it.”

“We think there might be two sources of the disturbance. An unknown female appeared in the temple unconscious but Vokara Che is already taking care of her. She looked like she had a building collapse on her.”   
  


Obi-Wan frowned. “The one that came from Rishi Outpost is currently being treated in the Medbay on the Resolute. Coric had to amputate the left leg. We’ll be pursing Grevious.”

“Very good Master Kenobi. Good hunting.” The call ended and Obi-Wan turned to head back to the Medbay before departing for the Negotiator.   
  


He wondered what would happen as he made his way back to Aria. He could feel Aria’s shock earlier in their bond before he talked to the Council. He knew that they had removed the attachment rule just before the war begun but he still worried about Aria.   
  


He opened the door to the Medbay and saw Aria talking quietly to a trooper before she looked his way. “What did the Council have to say?”

Obi-Wan stroked his beard. “Oddly enough they have their own mysterious person. A human female simply appeared in the halls of the Temple. She’s with Vokara Che right now. Mace said that she looked like a building collapsed on her.”

Aria frowned. “So we have what might be a civilian at the Temple and a soldier here. That’s not a lot to go on.”

“I agree but I should be heading back to the Negotiator.”

“I’m going to talk to Admiral Yularen and find Ahsoka. May the Force be with you.”

“May the Force be with you.” Obi-Wan said as he bowed before leaving to go to the hangar bay.   
  


Aria watched him leave before turning to Coric. “Let me know when she wakes.”

“Yes sir.” Aria nodded at Coric’s response before heading to the bridge. She had a lot to think on. Before she knew it she was on the bridge.

“Everything alright General?” Yularen asked as he approached her.   
  


She looked up at her Admiral. “Yes let’s get under way. Set course for the Bothawui system.” She watched her Admiral walk away with a shallow nod before giving orders. Aria decided to comm Ahsoka so she could tell her. But it seemed Ahsoka was one step ahead of her.   
  


She turned just in time to see Ahsoka walk onto the bridge. “Ahsoka, I was just about to comm you.”

“Why?” The Togruta asked.

“We got our next orders. We are heading to the Bothawui system and also we figured out that disturbance in the Force earlier.” Ahsoka gave her a questioning look. “One is at the Temple while another is currently our Medbay. Coric will tell me when she wakes.”

“How bad were they hurt?”

Aria grimaced. 

“That bad huh?”

Before Aria could reply her comment beeped. “Skywalker here.”

_**“Sir there’s a hit of a situation down in the Medbay. It’s urgent.”** _

“Alright I’ll be there as fast as I can.” Aria took off running back through the doors and towards the Medbay with Ahsoka hot on her heels.

* * *

Dakota came to with a groan. Her whole body ached and she opened her eyes only to be greeted by bright light. She gave a quiet hiss as her eyes snapped shut. She gently opened them and blinked repeatedly.   
  


She groaned and shut them again before her eyes snapped open in alarm. This wasn’t a medic tent. Medical tents don’t have metal roofs. She sat up quickly before she regretted doing that as her abdomen screamed in protest.   
  


Once again she hissed but she forced herself to stay upright. She looked down at her arm and yanked out the iv that was attached to it. She looked around and began to panic. She sought out her gear which was oddly enough laying close to her. She gave a quick scan of the room and spotted a single man looking the other way. She could feel her pistol still in its holster on her right thigh.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him began to turn around and she acted. She drew her pistol and leveled it at the man who eyes went wide as he took in the pistol aimed at him.

But she didn’t fire. Despite her reaching heart she kept it trained on him.   
  


Coric came around the corner in front of him was not expecting to see what he was looking at. In front of him was the new medic Kix who had just started his shift. Kix who was being held at gunpoint by the very patient he had told General Skywalker he hold comm her about. He decided to quickly comm her about the situation.  
  


Things got worse when she noticed him. The gun swung his way before going back to Kix. “Put the gun down, no one is going to hurt you.”   
  


He watched as those mismatched eyes snapped his way before going back to flicking between them. He tired to take a step forward but was stopped when she redirected her aim at him again. This time she kept it trained him. “Please put it down no one is going to hurt you.” He tried once again as he took a risk and took a step closer.   
  


“Stay right there!” She ordered. She watched as he came closer still.

Coric was hoping that he could get close enough that he could take it from her. Instead she fired a warning shot right at him. He heard the bullet from what he now knew was a slugthrower whistle past him. He froze again but this time because he didn’t want to risk her fatally shooting him. He knew that she was mostly likely just scared. However he couldn’t keep the relief off of his face when General Skywalker and Commander Tano entered the room.

* * *

Aria pushed herself to run faster when she heard a muffled bang. Using the Force to open the door to the Medbay she ran inside with Ahsoka right behind her.   
  


Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of her medics being held at gunpoint by Dakota. She could see the relief in Coric and Kix’s eyes. She could see Dakota’s eyes widen as the made contact with Ahsoka.   
  


Aria acted quick and ripped the gun from her hands with the force.

* * *

Dakota eyed the two newcomers but shock overwhelmed her rapidly as she took in was clearly a female something. In her shock she felt the gun being ripped from her hands with an invisible force and fly into the hands of the adult female.

“Enough! We aren’t going to hurt you. I promise.” The human female said.

Dakota didn’t know why but she believed her. That and the fact that she could she feel both of their presences significantly more than the others in the room. She had always been able to feel things like that. It made her experience in the war that much worse.

“Where am I?!” Her voice had a hitch in it.

“You’re on board the Resolute and are currently in its Medbay. What’s your name?”

Dakota didn’t move or say anything just stared at the human female and the other female. Her gaze flicked between them before she answered. “Dakota Skywalker. I’m a Sergeant in the British Army.”

“Skywalker?! Now there’s two of you Skygirl.” The other female looked up at the human in front of her. The human shot her a look.

“I’m General Aria Skywalker and this is Ahsoka Tano, my Padawan.” Aria was rather confused when Dakota’s eyes widened in surprise.   
  


“You’re a General?!” She blurted. She blushed a bit afterwards.

“Is that so surprising?”

“But you’re a female!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“But I thought females weren’t allowed to be in the Military as soldiers. Much less in leadership positions because we are ‘inferior and weak’.” Dakota was stunned this wasn’t anything she had ever encountered before. She had always been told that she should settle down and be a good home wife. She never did, she had a family in the MacIntyre’s but she never felt truly at home. She wasn’t sure she even knew what home did feel like. She was a fighter, she had been a soldier for 3 years in a brutal war that she had lied her way into fighting in.   
  


Aira on the other hand realized that Dakota came from a society where women were far from equal with men. That means she had probably spent however long she had in the Army lying and hiding about her gender. Though someone had to know but didn’t out her. “How did you end up at Rishi Outpost?”

“At where?”

“Rishi Outpost, where they found you?”

“Oh. I don’t know. Last thing I remember before waking up there was being buried under a destroyed building in the middle of a fire fight. The Germans had a Flamethrower and has set fire to it even though it was already burning by the got my leg...” Her eyes widened considerably. “ I can’t feel my leg! Why can’t I feel my leg?!” She shouted as she shifted in her bed ignoring them completely she ripped the covers off and her mind went blank.   
  


Her left leg stopped just half an inch under her knee. The rest had been removed. It had been amputated. “My leg.” She sniffed. It was the beginning of to much for her. She was stressed, tired. She had lost Sam and Amelia, her sister who had been killed in a bombing raid by the Germans on London.

One of the armored men with what some what looked like a Red Cross on his shoulder stepped a bit closer. “I’m sorry but I couldn’t save your limb. We’ll be getting you a prosthetic shortly.”

Dakota just nodded numbly.

“You know, getting a prosthetic isn’t as bad as you think. I myself have one.” Aria wakes over to the bed and sat down in the chair next to it.   
  


Dakota gave her a skeptical look. She didn’t see anything like a prosthetic. Aria seemed to notice her look because she raised an eyebrow at her.   
  


She watched as Aria began to take off the black glove on her right hand and she leaned closer now interested. She pulled the glove off and Dakota’s eyes widened.   
  


Underneath the glove was a single metal hand and forearm. The complexity and the fact it was metal was astounding to her. “That’s a prosthetic! It so advanced.” Her voice was laced with awe.

“What’s did you think it was going to be? A piece of wood?”   
  


“Well yeah. I mean like tha’s the most advanced piece of tech I’ve ever seen.”

“I think our tech is probably way more advanced than yours. You have any way to travel in space?”

“You can travel in space?! I didn’t think any aeroplane could go tha’ high!”

Aria just stared into her mismatched eyes for a few seconds. Before she could say anything though Kestrel came bursting into the room in full armor.

“What’s going on?!” She asked her wide eyes searching between Dakota and General Skywalker.   
  


“You’re that solider from the station.” Dakota said. She couldn’t explain it but she could feel her presence in the back of her mind and it was oddly comforting.   
  


“Yes I’m CT-26-5913.” All she got in return was a blank look. “Kestrel, My name is Kestrel.”   
  


“Well nice to meet you Kestrel I’m Dakota Skywalker. I know you but yet I’ve just met you.”

“It’s a Force bond. A very strong one from what little Kestrel has told me. A rare one, mostly likely a type of bond closer to a soul bond.” Aria told them.

“I wanna fight.” Dakota stated with with a no argument tone.   
  


“Dakota...” Aria started to say before Dakota cut her off.

“I’ve been fighting for so long, I don’t really know how to do anything else. But what else is there for me?”

Kestrel walked closer and sat down on the edge of the bed Dakota was laying on. “We’ll figure this out together. You won’t be alone.”

Dakota believed her and out of the corner of her eye saw Aria along with the girl she called Ahsoka slip out the Medbay. She believed Kestrel. If she had hope then just maybe everything would be alright. She was exhausted as the events of everything she had lost along with the day came crashing down on her. She cried herself to sleep as Kestrel hugged her.


End file.
